Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 1301 · The Gong of Fate Sounds in the Sanctuary (2)

“Cool…”

When the people who were carrying things out from inside saw the modified heavy truck parked at the entrance, they all froze in shock, mouths agape.

Klein still found it hard to believe. Even though the beastkin girl had confirmed that these were people she knew—and “good people” who had helped her before—the timing of this man and woman’s appearance felt far too perfect.

Yes, far too perfect—almost as if they knew exactly what Klein’s group needed and delivered nearly the best possible solution straight to them.

The truck’s compartment doors could automatically lift, and the interior was fully equipped. It was gear capable of supporting an outdoor concert for tens of thousands of people. Even preparing such equipment would normally take a long time—how could it be found so easily?

And the explanation was simply: “We happened to run into this on the road and thought it might be useful, so we drove it over”?

“You… are the two of you really magicians?” Klein calmed himself and decided to probe first. “May I see your Magicians’ Association credentials?”

Boss Luo, of course, didn’t have such a thing. Getting one would only take a thought—but there were also wandering magicians not certified by the Association.

Always committed to energy-saving principles, Boss Luo decided: I’m a wandering magician.

Unexpectedly, Miss Maid suddenly took out a pendant hanging from a silver necklace.“Will this do?”

The pendant was shaped like two serpents biting each other’s tails, with a special golden symbol set in the center.

Klein stared at it intently, first puzzled, then his expression turned hazy as if he were struggling to recall something. Finally, the Black man, Neil, whispered something into his ear, and Klein’s expression changed slightly.

“Esteemed sir, my apologies… I didn’t expect you to arrive,” Klein said. Even Nick’s attitude shifted at once.

“My companion and I are just vacationing here,” You Ye said with a smile. “We really don’t want such a beautiful Holy Land to become a place we can never visit again. I hope that when I return next time, it will still be as beautiful as ever.”

Klein and Nick exchanged a glance, then nodded. “Thank you very much for your help. I will report this to the Knight Bureau afterward. If possible, may I know your name?”

“Seven-colored Violet,” she replied.

Klein and Neil both committed the name to memory.

“There’s no time to lose. Since we have ready equipment, let’s start preparing!” Knowing the urgency of the situation, Klein spoke quickly before turning to organize work around the truck.

Watching them bustle about, Boss Luo asked curiously, “What did you show them?”

“A Magicians’ Association alchemical master certification badge,” Miss Maid replied with a smile. “I took the exam casually back then for convenience. Generally speaking, non-humans around Europe are more courteous toward magicians—especially alchemical masters.”

Luo Qiu nodded with understanding and smiled. “A hierarchy.”

“Yes,” Miss Maid said softly. “The system here is clearly defined. Sometimes an identity matters more than actual strength.”

As Knight Klein and the others began moving equipment into the truck, Boss Luo asked casually, “Does the name Seven-colored Violet have any special meaning?”

Miss Maid smiled. “I happened to be reading a fairy tale when I registered. I didn’t want to use my real name, so I borrowed the flower’s name from the story.”

Luo Qiu, who had read that tale as a child, smiled. “The flower that grants wishes after you pray to it… You must have sold quite a few formulas after becoming an alchemist.”

“Just a few,” Miss Maid replied lightly.

At that moment, a petite figure approached hesitantly, her steps and expression uncertain, as if she wanted to speak but lacked the courage. It was the beastkin girl, Lale.

“Nice to see you again, Miss Lale,” Luo Qiu greeted her first, as usual.

Lale nodded, blinking. Like Klein, she felt the timing of this gentleman’s appearance was too perfect. The excuse of “passing by” was unconvincing—so she quickly arrived at what felt like a more reasonable explanation.

“Have you… been following me and Oga all along?” she asked timidly.

Boss Luo asked in a gentle voice that easily guided people’s thoughts, “Miss Lale, have you truly decided to help Knight Klein?”

The question went straight to her heart, instantly overriding her doubts about his timely appearance.

She nodded, her gaze firm. “Our situation… isn’t very good. If this is handled poorly, my life will only become harder. Thirty years ago, there was a beastkin riot where some extremists acted recklessly, which led to a long wave of anti-beastkin sentiment. This time… I…”

“You want to help them.”

“I want to help them!”

“Even if it comes at a cost?”

Lale took a deep breath. “I know that even if this crisis is resolved, the Knight Bureau won’t forget it easily. They may still face severe punishment. But if we don’t calm them and let them fight in a frenzy, there’s only one ending—annihilation. And all beastkin will suffer even more because of it. I know I don’t have the right to decide their fate, but at least, at least I don’t want to see the worst outcome—that they die in battle, and all beastkin bear even more blame…”

She spoke almost in one breath—no longer timid, but resolute and decisive. Yet her momentum faded at the end.

“…Did I… say something wrong?” she asked nervously.

“No,” Luo Qiu shook his head. “I personally like that answer. However, once they regain their senses, some may resent you. Some might even prefer death in battle to punishment. Of course, not everyone—some may be grateful.”

“I’m not afraid!”

Luo Qiu smiled slightly. “But right now, what you need isn’t courage—it’s protecting yourself.”

“Protect?” Lale blinked.

Boss Luo glanced at Miss Maid. With a knowing smile, Miss Maid looked at the beastkin girl. “Miss Lale, are you really planning to appear before them like this?”

“?”

“Change your outfit,” Miss Maid said, producing two different outfits as if by magic—both in distinct styles, yet equally eye-catching and revealing.

Without waiting for a response, Miss Maid pulled the beastkin girl straight into the social services center.

“I—eh? Ah?? This… no—stop… wait, wait—!”

Perhaps it was simply a personal hobby.

Boss Luo watched the flustered beastkin girl being dragged away and chuckled. Just then, someone else approached him with hesitant steps.

Cheng Yiran.

The commotion outside naturally didn’t escape his notice. After coming out later, he casually asked Will about the two newcomers. Of course, Will was just as confused, only knowing that they seemed to be temporary companions of some sort.

“Is there something wrong?” Luo Qiu looked at Cheng Yiran and smiled faintly.

“Have we… met somewhere before?” Cheng Yiran asked with a frown.

“Perhaps.” Luo Qiu replied softly, then nodded. “I’ll go see if they need any help. You’ll help too, right?”

Cheng Yiran nodded instinctively.

…

Inside the changing room.

The small beastkin girl was curled up in a corner, her petite figure completely hidden beneath Miss Maid’s shadow.

She hugged her shoulders with both arms. Somehow, her top had vanished, leaving only a slightly rumpled white undergarment.

Her smooth stomach showed not the slightest bit of excess flesh. Her skin was slightly dark, yet carried a healthy glow.

Like a gleaming black pearl.

“Which one should she wear…” Miss Maid murmured, looking no different from most women standing in front of a fitting mirror.

“None of them are good…” the girl said, trembling.

What lingered vividly in her memory was the strange sailor outfit from last time. She had barely been able to accept that, but the two options in front of her now were far too shameful.

Watching Miss Maid, who seemed to have already made her choice, the beastkin girl suddenly felt that she would rather rush out and fight berserk beastmen than stay here another second.

“No—don’t!!”

…

…

At the warehouse of the building, an explosion rang out. The cargo bay doors were blown apart.

A berserk beastman was flung backward from the flames. Its body was covered in crisscrossing wounds, as if slashed by sharp blades.

From the firelight at the entrance, a man slowly stepped out, sword in hand.

At that moment, even the ferocious beastman seemed to harbor a trace of fear beneath its savage glare.

“Beastmen… the root of all sin.”

The man raised the longsword in his hand—the demonic sword.

Crimson, bloodlike patterns shimmered along the blade.

Roaring in fury, the beastman relied on its powerful body and berserk state to leap up once more, lunging at the man.

Like a streak of black lightning, in an instant—when the beastman hit the ground, all four of its limbs had been severed. Only its head could still move, and it seemed to finally awaken from its berserk state.

Its solid muscles began to wither, its body shrinking little by little. When it fully reverted, it was nothing more than a gaunt old man.

But before he could utter a single word, a black flash passed before his eyes. The last thing he saw was his own limbless body.

With a swing of the demonic sword, blood sprayed out and splattered across the ground. The man then turned toward another direction.

From beginning to end, there was nothing in his eyes but disgust.

The fires raging through the city showed no sign of abating.

Soon, the man wielding the demonic sword found a new target—one climbing across a building, roaring nonstop, treating the city like a primeval forest.

His gaze narrowed slightly, and the demonic sword in his hand emitted a dark red glow.

“Let the truth… bring this world to silence.”

Using the power of the demonic sword, he leapt straight up from the ground and ran along the building’s outer wall. At incredible speed, he closed in on the beastman. One strike—clean and decisive.

The beastman had no time to react before its head was severed, its body plummeting downward.

The man grabbed hold of a shattered window frame with one hand and surveyed the streets below, searching for his next target.

…

…

Under the cover of night, the black waters churned violently. Along a stretch of the Thames riverbed, a small boat was slowly making its way toward the docks of the Foggy City, illuminated by firelight.

A group of people stood aboard, all cloaked in black robes with hoods concealing their faces.

One of them stood at the bow, peering at the chaotic, flame-lit city through binoculars.

At that moment, a small bird glowing faintly flew in from the night sky. The bird looked as if it were made of light, beautiful and delicate. It landed on the cloaked man’s shoulder, chirping softly.

“So it’s begun…”

It was a man’s voice, deep and not young.

Another similarly dressed figure approached from behind. “Mr. Ace, should we disembark now?”

Mr. Ace reached up to tease the light-bird on his shoulder and let out a soft chuckle. “No need to rush. Our employer hasn’t given the order yet. Still, I have to say—I’m starting to admire this employer. Such patience.”

“Indeed,” the man behind agreed, then hesitated before asking, “Sir, this time the Magicians’ Association has dispatched so many elites. But the reward seems a bit…”

“Don’t focus only on the numbers on the ledger,” Mr. Ace said calmly. “What the tower masters value are the promises beneath those numbers.”

“Promises… what kind of promises?”

Mr. Ace seemed not to hear the question at all, continuing to focus on teasing the light-bird.

The subordinate wisely asked no further questions and stepped back respectfully.

Mr. Ace kept gazing toward the famous city ahead and muttered softly, “Such a disaster-ridden Knight Bureau…”

…

…

A sound like rapid footsteps echoed in the ears.

When the beastkin girl awkwardly stepped out of the social service center’s changing room and appeared before everyone, two members of a punk band immediately whistled to express their blunt reaction.

Her slender body was clad in leather boots, and a high-slit, skin-tight outfit barely covered her from just below her navel upward.

The mature smoky makeup on her face completely concealed her former innocence. The sultry aura she gave off almost made the two men unable to keep themselves in check.

The beastkin girl could only helplessly reach one hand downward to cover the area between her thighs, while the other tried to shield the scant portion of her chest that was barely covered.

Miss Maid suddenly gave her a playful shove from behind. “Looks like you’re ready for your center debut.”

The girl staggered forward. Her usually agile body stiffened in complete panic, and she fell straight to the ground.

Ah—so there was even space thoughtfully left at her slightly raised hips. Her tail swayed lightly in the air.

“D-don’t look!”

(End of Chapter)